All or Nothing - Mentality Does More Harm Than Good

The “all or nothing” mentality WILL NOT help you when you’re trying to improve your overall fitness and healthy lifestyle (remember we are trying to improve for our future!). The idea of perfection isn’t realistic, which then spirals us down the path of guilt/failure emotions. There is a healthy balance. I ALWAYS tell myself and my clients – something is better than nothing.

The “all or nothing” usually gets us “nothing” in the end.

Just because you don’t have time to get in that 45-minute workout that you had planned or we don’t have time to go to the gym -doesn’t mean you have to throw in the towel and call it a total loss for the day. INSTEAD you could do a 10-minute bodyweight workout in your day, you surely will feel better because you made the effort to do something instead of doing NOTHING.

Just because you have a meal or indulgent snack that wasn’t totally healthy – doesn’t mean you have to throw in the towel and continue to eat crappy for the rest of the day. Don’t beat yourself up for enjoying a piece of cake or donut someone brought over – instead focus on enjoying the treat and try not to indulge in anymore indulgences (self-control is important here!). Guilt leads to punishments like less food intake or punishment exercise – NOT HEALTHY!

Remind yourself:

· Something is better than nothing.

· A 10-minute walk during lunch is better on a busy day than skipping a workout, and if you don’t get that in – don’t punish yourself in your next workout by pushing yourself or go weeks without exercise, because “why bother”.

· You are human and aloud to enjoy treats –use self-control as a better judgment for the remainder of the day after.

· Be more mindful and listen to your body – is it telling you to slow down and rest, is it telling you that stretching is more important than that hard workout planned…is it telling you that your full and satisfied so you don’t overeat.

· Replace instead of cut out – when someone tells you that you can’t have something, doesn’t it make you want it more. Instead of removing a bunch of unhealthy foods or unhealthy habits – try to replace them with something healthier that you genuinely will like (ex. Want that bowl of ice cream – instead try some berries topped with whipped cream and a few chocolate chips. Lighter swap!).

· Focus on the EASY doable things – walking up stairs instead of taking the elevator, parking further from the entrance, drinking more water, etc.

· Dig a little deeper – If you beat yourself up and punish yourself for not getting in that workout or eating that treat – then there may be something going on deeper. It takes work and self-reflection but it is important to see what else is keeping us from moving on and having a healthier relationship with exercise and food. Are you a perfectionist? Are you self-sabotaging? Is it something you are ready to change or want to change? Are you avoiding something? Do you believe that you deserve to feel healthy and good?

The all-or-nothing mentality hold can be so strong — especially if you’ve been in the pattern of thinking that way for years. Life is better on the other side when you learn to let go and move forward – EACH DAY IS A NEW DAY FULL OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES!

Forget the scale. Focus on feeling good.

Show yourself unconditional self-love - Starting today!

Don’t give up on yourself – YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Meg DeSalvo Fit